At The Beginning
by Aiyoku Saotome
Summary: Alice was always an outcast, and waited diligently for her turn to go to Neverland. But when her older sister Margaret came back, Peter swore he'd never take a Darling again. Ten years later, she gets her chance and befriends Peter. Then, one day, she needs help, but Hook is the only one around. When she spies on a pirate party weeks later, he catches her, and invites her on board.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: Only my made-up characters are mine, as well as the plot. I had help with this plot from three amazing friends/sisters and beta-readers, Kayla, Cami, and Amanda!**

 **This is a new story that has been brewing in my head for well over a year, and thanks to my friends, I've finally started it. I used the names of women of the Darling family that already exist, but I've taken their characters and made them my own. Alice is my only original character, and the first half of her full name is taken from Alice in Wonderland. I hope you enjoy the story!**

SUMMARY

 **Here's an official, longer summary than what this site allows!**

 **Alice Kingsleigh Darling Teach has always been an outcast, and waited diligently for her turn to go to Neverland. But when her older sister Margaret came back, Peter swore he'd never take another Darling again. Ten years later, on the verge of giving up, Alice finally gets her chance and befriends Peter, teaching him that love isn't just romantic. She teaches him to deal with his emotions, and he teaches her freedom and gives her the one thing she has always wanted - friendship. Adventures ensue. One day, she finds herself in a desperate situation while out in the jungle near the ocean. She needs help, but Hook is the only person around. He offers help and she takes it after fighting it, not trusting her enemy at all. But all it took for her to see him in a different light was that one moment. Weeks later, she spies on a pirate party on the Jolly Roger. He catches her, and invites her on board. Chaos ensues, and she finds herself in another desperate situation, but this time, she is the only one who can help herself.**

* * *

Snickering. Teasing. Harsh, unnecessary words. Things no one truly understood the meaning of. Venom people spouted without thinking. Without feeling. Without wondering if they actually hurt. People could be so cruel, but there was no one worse than a popular high-schooler. Or, any high-schooler when you were the outcast. Such was the life of the youngest Darling child.

Alice Kingsleigh Darling Teach has always been an outcast, simply for the sole fact that she outspokenly, and quite stupidly, as her older sister Margaret says, believed in her great-grandmother's stories. She was a quirky girl who kept to herself, and kept everyone else at a distance. After all, no one wanted to be friends with the girl who insisted Peter Pan was real - and she did so into adulthood.

And no one hated Alice more than her own sister. In fifth grade, Alice made the mistake of telling her biggest family secret to who she thought was her best friend. The girl, Ashley Gordon, went on to tell the entire school. When this got around to Alice's sister Margaret, then a sophomore in high school, she assured that the story wasn't true and went on to ruin Alice's life.

Margaret did not believe in the stories. So when Peter Pan came through her window when she was fifteen, she was flabbergasted. But, not one to waste an opportunity as she was a Teach and obsessively proud of her Blackbeard heritage, she greedily went with him. Eleven-year-old Alice was _ecstatic_. She had always believed the stories, but this was proof. This meant that she would definitely be going in a few years. So when they finally came back six months later, Alice scrambled to Margaret's room to listen and peek through the doorway.

"Good riddance. You are a disgrace to your family," she heard a male voice say, a bit deeper than she remembered when eavesdropping on them six months earlier. "I can't believe you have Wendy's blood in your veins. She would never have done the things you're capable of."

"I have much more Blackbeard in my veins than Wendy's diluted blood, thanks to my father," Alice heard her sister say venomously. "Just wait 'til I'm older, Peter Pan. I will return. You'll get what you so badly deserve, and I will give it deliciously."

"You will _never_ be allowed back. Have fun telling everyone in your family that I will never come for any more of you!"

Alice ran in, screaming and crying. "NO! PLEASE come back for me! I am nothing like her! Please don't judge me based on her! She's evil! PLEASE, Peter!"

"NEVER!" he shouted, then their mother ran in. She paused when she saw Peter's pained, angry expression and was shocked into silence at the scene before her. She looked at her daughters and when her eyes turned back to the window, he was gone.

Alice fell to a crumpled heap of tears and sobs. "What did you do?!" she screamed at her sister.

Margaret rolled her eyes. "Oh stop being such a baby. It's his fault for waiting so long and letting me grow up a bit before taking me."

"BECAUSE OF YOU, NOW HE'LL NEVER COME FOR ME!"

"Oh quit your whining. You're better off if he doesn't."

Jane took a deep breath. She knew Margaret had a... bad streak. She hated to call it evil. "Margaret. What did you do?"

Alice turned to her with a face full of tears. "Margaret did something in Neverland and now Peter hates her and banned her and banned all of us and our children and their children! He said he'll never take another Darling to Neverland! I begged him but he said NEVER!"

"I know, darling. I heard. Margaret?"

"I'm not telling _you_. You should know better than to ask."

"I am your mother, Margaret! You will not speak to me that way!"

"Whatever. Father wouldn't care."

"I know you're proud of your Blackbeard heritage, but your father was not as obsessed about it as you and actually, he would have cared very much about your abhorrent behavior!"

Margaret rolled her eyes and stalked out of the room.

Ever since then, Alice hated her sister. Because Peter kept true to his word, and never came back.

* * *

"Are you seriously going to sit there every night for the rest of your life?"

A grown Alice snapped out of her thoughts and turned her head away from the open window, and stared blankly at her sister. She had stopped fighting with her sister about Peter, and just ignored her. She learned to tune Margaret out over the years. But tonight felt different, so she engaged. "Yes. If I have to, for the rest of my life."

Margaret's face contorted with haughty anger. "You're such an idiot, Alice. You're twenty-one! Get over yourself, get over him, and get on with your life!"

"Why do you care?"

"Because you're an embarrassment to this family!"

"Again, why do you care? You hate everyone and everything except Dad, who's been gone for eleven years. Why don't you get over _him_ as you're telling me to get over you fucking everything up for me and making me the only Darling girl since Great-grandmother to not go to Neverland?"

"How could you tell me to get over Dad?!" Margaret seethed. "How dare you! Peter is nothing compared to him!"

"I know. I'm just trying to piss you off because after all these years, I feel like it."

"You're a cynical bitch."

Alice actually laughed. "You're calling _me_ a bitch? Really? After everything you've ever said and done, and what you did in Neverland that you refuse to tell Mom and I? Really? Me? That's rich. That's so rich. You ruined my LIFE, Margaret!" She was standing now. "Not just because of ruining my chances of going to Neverland, as everyone back to Wendy has, but because of what you did to me in school. I still can't go anywhere without seeing someone snickering at me! I can't do anything in this city without people re-visiting the rumors! People who never went to school with us know the rumors and call me crazy! I can't even get a JOB because of what you did to me! Because so many people have bullied me and spread those rumors!"

"Oh cut the crap, Alice. Yeah I started them, but it was your fault for being so stupid about it and telling people that you believed our family stories."

"Shut the fuck up. I wouldn't be where I am now if it weren't for you. My only chance at anything is to become a writer like Great-grandma Wendy, but what then? That won't help Mom! YOU don't even help Mom with expenses and you have a great job! So FUCK you, Margaret! And get the hell out of my room!"

"He is never coming for you, Alice! Grow the fuck up!"

"GIRLS!" They turned to the doorway, towards their mother. "Enough! Margaret, leave! Now! Go do whatever it is you do and get out of my house!"

Margaret sniffed. "Gladly. I'll get out of Dad's house. Once you die, it's mine, anyway. You never loved me, so he left it to me in his will and then I will take it and put Alice out on the streets."

"Mom never loved you because you're an evil BITCH!" Alice screamed.

"ENOUGH! BOTH OF YOU! GET OUT, MARGARET!"

Once Margaret left, she wrapped Alice in a hug and Alice burst into tears. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry that I can't help you out. I'm sorry that I can't get a job. I'm sorry that I'm a good-for-nothing mess. I wish I could help you so badly, but there's nothing I can do. I don't belong anywhere. I don't fit in anywhere. And everyone within the vicinity hates me. I'd have to go far away and send you money, if I could even get a job in the first place."

"Alice, shush. You are fine. I am fine. I love you. I don't want you to leave. We will manage."

"I don't want to stop believing. But I can't stop waiting for him, even though I'm an adult. That makes me as much of a lunatic as everyone calls me."

"No it doesn't."

"Yes, Mom. It does. It really does. And I don't want to leave you, but if he came... I swear I would go and I would never leave Neverland. I'd come back for you and take you with me, even. I would never, ever leave him or that island. From what you've told me, I would thrive there." She paused. "Why did he keep to his word? Why did he judge a whole group of people that doesn't even exist yet? Why did he judge me? I'm the only one who'd actually stay, and he didn't even try with me."

Jane saw something and glanced up from her daughter's shoulder. Her eyes widened as Peter's eyes bore into hers from the window. "Peter has taken every Darling girl to Neverland, and a lot of the boys, expecting them all to stay. But every single one of us returned home. Even Margaret, who remained on the island the longest. His heart has broken so many times. You must realize how hard that has been for him, to befriend so many people and have them all leave. Yes, I know you would stay. Even if he did come for you, even as an adult, I know that your soul is so youthful that you would never want to come home. You're right, you have never fit in anywhere. Your soul does not belong in this world. And as much as I want you to stay here with me, I would make you go. You belong in Neverland." Jane said all of this while keeping her eyes locked with Peter's. She finally looked away and pushed Alice away from her at arm's length, holding her shoulders and staring into her grandmother's eyes. She was so grateful that one of her daughter's received Wendy's eyes. "Alice. I know you think it is impossible now that you are an adult, but I still hope that he will change his mind one day and come for you. I hope he can realize that you are not Margaret, and that you would be the first Darling to stay there forever, and never return. I would miss you so dearly, but I want your happiness more than anything. And you would find it there." She kissed Alice on her forehead. "Goodnight, darling."

She gave Peter one last meaningful glance, and left, not missing how much older he looked.

Alice let her head hang where she sat on the floor, her back to the window still. More tears fell down her cheeks as the horrifying thought she had avoided for twenty-one years crossed her mind. _'What if he never comes?'_ She angrily wiped away her tears, but more fell. She sniffed and used her sleeve, but to no avail. "You bastard... you..." But she couldn't really be angry with him. Her mother was right; he'd been betrayed too many times. Her shoulders slumped. "I'll never go to Neverland."

"Girl, why are you crying?"

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 **I hope you liked the first chapter :) I know it's short, unusually short for me, but I can't imagine ending it anywhere else. The next chapter will come shortly!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything but my own characters and the plot. Thank you Cami, Kayla, and Amanda for helping me!**

 **Thank you for the review!**

 **I hope you enjoy!**

* * *

Alice's eyes widened. Her breath caught in her throat, she slowly turned to see Peter Pan standing in the Darling nursery window. He was similar to who the others described, but with differences she was not expecting. Instead of his hands on his hips, his arms were crossed over his chest. He still wore knee-length shorts made from leaves and a vine over his shoulder, but there were more scars on his body than her mother had described. His face was youthful, but he was older; around seventeen or so, and his bright green eyes were hard with experience and betrayal.

He raised an eyebrow, and she realized he was still waiting for an answer. "Oh, sorry. Um, I thought..."

"That I would never come," he finished for her.

She nodded. "You did shout that you'd never take another Darling child to Neverland ten years ago."

"Good thing you're an adult, then. Otherwise I'd be a liar."

She blinked. "But you hate adults."

"Mostly. But your soul called to me. It is too free and youthful to be in this world. I also might've been curious about how you'd grow up... and the way Jane was looking at me when she was comforting you - well, I never want to be on the other end of her glares again."

"What? Mom saw you when she was talking to me?"

"She was glaring at me the entire time, silently threatening my life. Jane always did have that glare perfected."

Alice giggled. "Well, why are you here? Why'd you come back?"

"As I said, your soul was pulling at me. Sometimes I can feel souls that are strong enough, but never an adult. And that intrigued me. Also I can tell you're very different from... _her_."

"From Margaret, you mean? What did she do to you?"

Peter's stare became cold and Alice almost shrank back from it. "Are you sure about this?"

"What?"

"Do you really want to live in Neverland forever?"

"I've never been more sure of anything in my entire life. It's all I've ever wanted to do. And you took that dream away from me by judging the rest of the Darling kids based on one evil one, so I'd like it if you gave my dream back, thanks."

He smirked. "Alright."

Her eyes widened. "What?"

"Alright."

"Just like that? It's that easy?"

He sniffed, amused. "It won't be easy. Living in Neverland is not like living here. You have to hunt. Forage. Work your body out so it can fight. You have to fight pirates. Escape from animals that will kill you without a thought. You will get poisoned. You will work hard. You will have to deal with bugs and snakes and other nasty things. You will have to look younger because the Lost are weary of adults, so you'll have to bind and wear baggy clothes. It's very hot, you won't be able to bathe as often as you do here, and you will get dirty. Very dirty."

She smiled. "That sounds a hell of a lot better than this place. So what are the upsides, now that you've said all you can say that might deter a person from going?"

Now he smiled. He liked this girl. "You'll be able to fly whenever and wherever you want. You'll never go hungry. You'll never grow bored. You'll never have to worry about anything, except your life when fighting pirates. We have antidotes and other medicine if you get sick or poisoned, and if anything serious happens to you, we take you to the natives and they'll heal you. You will never grow old, unless that is what your soul wishes. You will never be happier. And you will never be more free. All of that is yours, if you never betray me."

Her smile had grown with each and every thing he said, but faltered at the last. "You've been betrayed so many times, haven't you?"

"There are rules in Neverland. One of them is no pity."

She frowned. "It's not pity, Peter. It's sympathy, and empathy. I will not betray you. I've been betrayed so much that I couldn't do that to anyone else. And even if I hadn't been, I still wouldn't."

"That's what they all say, until they want to go home to their precious families."

"Peter, all I have in this world is my mother, and if I ever try to come back to her, she'll kick me out so fast I wouldn't even be able to land."

He laughed! He actually laughed. "That does sound like Jane." Then he frowned.

"You miss her, don't you?"

"'Course. She was the first Lost Girl. Anyway, pack your things."

Alice scrambled up and jumped at him, hugging the air out of his lungs. "Thank you so much. I know you don't know me, but you're making my biggest dream come true. The only thing stopping me from offing myself is my mother. It would kill her. Thank you for coming back for me." As she turned around to gather the things she wanted to take with her, he shook his head. She wanted to _kill_ herself? This girl really _was_ different from the rest. With the exception of Margaret, they were all whimsical and wanted fairy tale stories to come true, but they all ended up going home to grow up. Margaret just wanted to... he wasn't sure if she ever even _was_ a child. He wasn't going there. He knew he'd have to tell Alice eventually, but he'd wait as long as he possibly could. They weren't friends yet, anyway. So he had time.

Alice grabbed as many shorts and tank tops as she could. She knew he said she should wear baggy clothes, but just in case. She took all of her pants too so she could cut them and make shorts, as she knew she'd probably go through clothes fast in Neverland. She grabbed a few sun dresses for good measure, but she had a feeling she wouldn't need them. Best to have them, anyway. Sneakers, converses, and flip flops also made the cut, as well as every single hair tie she could find.

As soon as Peter saw what she threw in her bag next, he blushed madly and looked away. She glanced up and caught this. Curious, she couldn't keep her mouth shut. "You actually know what these are?"

"I am not talking about that."

She snickered and dropped the subject, but was intrigued. For Peter to know what bras and panties were, he had to have... oh now her face was going red. She didn't want to think about Peter Pan, the _boy_ in all of the stories, doing anything like _that_. Maybe he just knew what they were, and hadn't done anything... _'STOP IT STOP IT STOP IT. FOCUS.'_

"So, I'm a little confused. Not that I'm against it, but why do I have to look like a child?"

"The Lost are between ages nine and fifteen. They have all been betrayed at one point or another by adults. They don't hate adults, but having one among the tribe might not be good. At least not at first. Let them get used to you, and then maybe you can reveal your age at a later time. Also, as you are a woman, the pirates will most likely treat you differently than the other Lost. They are despicable, leery, dirty creatures who don't treat women well."

"Well, that sounds like a good plan. I don't mind binding, or looking younger. It... might give me a chance to be a kid again. Margaret stole my childhood."

"She stole mine, too."

Alice chose not to comment. Twenty minutes later, she was ready.

"If you have even one thought that you might not be able to handle living there forever, back out now."

She heard pleading in his voice, even though he was trying to be tough. "Peter. I am not backing out. As I said, there is nothing for me here. I'm going and I'm staying. And I will make sure no one ever hurts you again."

He looked contemplative. "How much has Margaret told you?"

"Absolutely nothing."

"Good. Let's go."

She shook her head and grabbed her bag. Just as he dropped fairy dust on her, Jane came in. They both looked up, completely not expecting her to show. "Uh, I'm sorry. I told myself I'd leave you be. That I'd let you just go. But... I had to say goodbye."

"Aw man, Jane, don't cry." Crying always made Peter uncomfortable.

The older woman laughed. "Still can't handle it, huh, Peter?" He just folded his arms across his chest. She enveloped Alice in a hug. "I am going to miss you _so_ much, but know that I will be so happy knowing that you will finally be in a place where you fit in. Where _you_ will be happy."

"Thanks, mom. I'll visit, I promise."

"Well well well, isn't this touching."

Alice looked up, Jane turned around, and Peter, who was already facing the door, snarled.

"Margaret, what are you doing here? I thought you left," Jane said, frustrated.

"I did. But then I saw Peter from outside and came back to say... hello." When Jane and Alice glanced at him, Margaret took that opportnity to rake his body with her eyes. "You've... grown."

Peter whipped out his dagger and walked towards her but Jane stood and blocked him. "Peter, I know she hurt you, but I can't let you hurt my daughter."

"If you knew what she did, you'd kick her out of your family, Jane."

"Regardless, she is my daughter, no matter how cruel she may be. You have what you want. You have my other daughter. Be on your way. There is no need for violence."

He angrily sheathed the dagger and stormed to the giant open window. "Let's go. Jane, you might want to meet someone else and have another child because now that I'm taking your only good one, you'll have nothing left. Give up on Margaret. She is pure evil." He leapt through the window and was gone.

Alice hurried after him. After waving goodbye to her mother and giving her a sorrowful look, she flew through the window.

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 **I hope you enjoyed this chapter!**


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